The Walking Dead’s Yumiko Twist Confirms A Michonne Theory

The Walking Dead season 11 premiere ended with a twist involving Yumiko, and it confirms a Michonne theory some fans had before the season debuted. The main characters of AMC’s zombie series have run into their fair share of villains over the years, and each community has in some way been noticeably different than the others, but none of them were like the Commonwealth. In fact, everything everyone’s tried to do since the apocalypse began is to get to where the Commonwealth is now.

The Commonwealth is the latest and likely last main group to join the fold before the series wraps up in 2022. Unlike other communities who’ve either struggled to get by or found their small place in the world and didn’t want to be disturbed, the Commonwealth is an expansive organization that spans tens of thousands of residents and they live their lives almost like the zombie apocalypse didn’t happen. It’s why their entrance procedure is so rigorous. They don’t just allow anyone in, but they also understand people would want to be reunited with their families.

In The Walking Dead comics, Michonne’s daughter Elodie left a note for her mother on the Commonwealth’s Wall of the Lost and they ultimately reunite when Michonne and the rest of the party are permitted to enter the community. Since Michonne is no longer in the main series, that storyline has now gone to Yumiko. In The Walking Dead season 11 premiere, Princess notices a note on the Commonwealth’s wall addressed to Yumiko, saying, “Have you seen my sister Miko? Contact Tomi.”

Michonne’s backstory was heavily explored in the comics given she was one of the series’ main characters, but the silver lining in the TV show missing these characters at this point in the story means other people in supporting roles can play a bigger part of the overarching narrative, which in turn means their backstories will get more screen-time. Yumiko is one of those characters who didn’t have much time dedicated to them in the comics but are now getting their due on the small screen. Introducing a long-lost brother is merely one way to expand on Yumiko’s untold backstory.

In a way, this suggests each of the four people who’ve gone to the Commonwealth on behalf of Alexandria (even Princess) have their own storylines to play out. Eugene is anxious to meet with Stephanie; Yumiko will reunite with Tomi; Princess is proving herself as a worthy member of the group and has found friends, and Ezekiel not only may find treatment for his cancer but will also seek to help resupply Alexandria. Although this initially started out as a private matter for Eugene, Ezekiel is by far the best person to handle this situation given his previous experience as King of the Kingdom. But how it all plays out for Yumiko remains to be seen; just because Tomi once left that note, that doesn’t mean he and Yumiko will have the same ending as Elodie and Michonne.

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Mansoor Mithaiwala
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Mansoor Mithaiwala is Screen Rant’s TV Lead Editor. He originally joined the site as a freelance writer on the Lists team before moving over to News and Features, eventually becoming an editor in 2018. Over time he’s done quite a few different things, including helping launch gaming on the site, often handling news, features, and guides simultaneously. Now he sticks primarily to movies and TV, and spends way too much time looking at analytics. It sure seems like he’s put his Political Science degree to good use, huh?

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